Title: Dead End

Author: Aerohead

Email: in my profile

Website: In my profile

Pairing: Fiyero/Elphaba, Fiyero/Glinda, Glinda/OC

Rating: T

Disclaimer/Dedication: For L. Frank Baum, Gregory Maguire, Stephen Schwartz, and Winnie Holtzman who own this idea that I'm extending. Thank you for giving me the first part.

Warning: spoiler for the ending of the musical Wicked, but that's pretty much about it.

Genre: General, romance (book/play amalgamation)

Summary: AU (during One if By Land time-period) what would happen if Glinda's daughter met Elphaba's under very precarious circumstances.

Author's Notes: This idea came from…well, I'm not sure what. It's just an idea that's been bothering me, and no matter how hard I try and write more of When Your Dreams Come True, this idea keeps forcing itself to be known. Some – well, many – characters known from my other stories won't be making an appearance; really, it'll be mostly Fabala and Nissa. Anyway, feedback is greatly appreciated as I'm not sure whether I'll continue this or not.

Chapter One: Under Pressure

When the door was opened, the sun shown brightly into the shrine, bouncing off of the decaying statues and prayer requests almost jovially while it stained the stone floor a light, buttery yellow. A mouse squealed as its hiding place was disturbed, and it skittered across the floor to hide inside a statue. Two figures, hidden by the light, crossed through the room over to a small prayer table that was littered with withered roses. One of the figures pushed the roses off of the table and knelt down in front of it, hands clasped in an expression of prayer.

"What good will this do us?" Asked the figure who was still standing.

The other figure didn't respond; it simply a mixture of Unionist and Lurlinist prayers to the long-forgotten statue, before standing.

"What do you want to do first?" asked the first figure, stepping over to the other. With a shrug, they headed out of the condemned building into the blinding light of the morning.

Nissa Upland stood in front of her mirror, frowning. She had to watch her mother hold meetings and sessions all day, and she wanted to look perfect. However, she couldn't decide between a dark russet dress to offset her pale skin, or a pale blue one to show off her eyes. She jumped when someone knocked on the door.

"Yes?" She asked, turning. The Princess Ozma smiled and nodded towards the blue dress.

"That one seems good." She said.

Nissa smiled brightly at Ozma, before putting the russet dress away. "Oh, good, I'm glad you said that; it would have taken so long for me to pick one out." She said. She slipped off her dressing robe and stepped into the dress.

Ozma frowned. "Is that what you've been up here doing?" she asked, laughing. She walked over to Nissa and helped take out a few rags from the girl's hair. "Doing your hair and picking out a dress? Open court starts in five minutes, and your mother's becoming desperate to find you."

Nissa tied the dress and turned to look at Ozma. "Five minutes? Why didn't anyone tell me!" she said, blustering around her room to find the right pair of shoes. "This just can't be…I'm not ready yet! I thought I had an hour to get ready."

Ozma shrugged. "You did – fifty-five minutes ago." She stopped Nissa from knocking over a painting of her father and held the small girl at arm's length. "Nissa, you look fine; just go downstairs and be you…within reason, of course." She ushered Nissa out of the room, and walked behind her down the long staircase and into the main greeting hall.

Glinda, the Good Witch, let out a blustery sigh and ran a hand over her perfectly painted face, showing off her painted pink nails. "Oh, thank Oz you're here, Nissa. I thought you'd be late…" she cut off, but 'as usual' hung thick in the air.

Ozma pet Nissa's shoulder. "She was just getting the last curler our of her hair." She said, tugging an extra rag out of Nissa's hair before anyone noticed.

Glinda smiled unsteadily, before motioning to the smaller of two cushioned seats placed in the center of the room. On either side of it sat four leather armchairs ornately inscribed with a golden insignia of a different part of OZ. On the left sat Dorothy Gale, the now-older girl who had saved the country so many years ago and next to her Lord Bromley, Glinda's betrothed. On the right was an empty seat, and sitting next to it was Destin, Lord Bromley's nineteen-year-old son. Ozma sat down next to him, while Nissa took the chair her mother had shown her, while Glinda sat in the larger one. She picked up a bell and rang it twice. A Gale Forcer appeared in the doorway, and bowed.

"We are ready to begin." said Glinda.

The Gale Forcer bowed again and walked out of the door. He came back a few moments later with a portly Munchkin following. "Sir Daed of the Emerald City to see you, Madame Glinda."

Glinda waved her hand toward the Munchkin, waiting for him to speak.

The Munchkin gulped loudly and played with the hat in his hands. "Madame…my store was recently broken into, and a very valuable transcript that I had behind the counter is missing."

Glinda raised one pristine eyebrow. "What was this transcript?" asked Destin, looking down his glasses at the man.

The man turned to Destin, and bowed. "Young Lord Nokmyu, I presume." Destin inclined his head toward the shop owner, waiting for him to continue. "The transcript…it was from the Wizard of Oz himself; a…pronouncement of sorts about her Goodness." He nodded toward Glinda.

"What do you want her Goodness to do about it?" Dorothy asked, a slightly haughty air apparent in her cool voice.

The shop keeper bowed deeply. "I was hoping she could look for the thief." He asked. "Just to keep other shop owners safe in the neighborhood; I'm very good friends with some of them, and I know -"

Glinda held up a hand. "That's enough." She smiled. "I'll do the best I can, but I can't promise any miracles." She said.

The shop keeper bowed even lower, and thanked Glinda profusely as he was dragged out of the room by the Gale Forcer. After him came a string of shop keepers and wealthy members of the Emerald City complaining about things missing. Nissa was getting bored with all the complaints about things that would just bring other people more money, when the Gale Forcer returned with help, carting two young people with them. Glinda cocked her head to the side while the others sat up straighter to be more imposing. Nissa leaned in closer, trying to get a better view of the two youths.

"Who are they?" Glinda asked. One of the youths pulled forcefully out of the Gale Forcer's grip. The youth then pulled the brim of a cap far down, obscuring a dark face. The second youth ran a hand through light hair with a rose-colored hand.

"I have no idea who they are, you Goodness, but I caught them pock-picketing from some of the citizens in line."

The one with the cap seemed to sneer. "Well, how else were we going to get your attention?" Nissa was surprised by the voice – it was deep, with a slight Western lilt, but it was also smooth and nearly feminine.

"Let it go." Warned the other youth – Nissa could see it was a male. He touched the free one's arm, and the Gale Forcer let go of him.

Glinda seemed amused. "Well, you have our attention, dears. What seems to be your problem?"

The hidden youth shifted so that the boy was holding most of their combined weights. "I need a physician."

Glinda looked worried. "For you?" she asked.

A barked laugh, almost a cackle, echoed throughout the small room, and Dorothy and Lord Bromley shirked away from it. "No; for my mother; she's sick and we have no doctors that will come to us except some medicine men and old women, and for some reason, my father seems to trust you."

Glinda raised an eyebrow, outright amusement showing through. "You seem to think differently."

"Yes." said both youths.

Lord Bromley looked outraged, but Glinda chuckled. "Bromley, I'm allowed to have my Nay-Sayers." She reminded him. "Where is your mother?"

"In the Vinkus." said the boy, holding on to the frail body in front of him. "She needs help soon, but we need a doctor that won't…be in the way."

Glinda put a painted nail to her lips. "But what of this pock-picketing business?" she asked. "You don't expect me to help you if you've been sent in here for stealing, when everyone before you has been complaining of stolen items."

"You don't think we…?"

Glinda shook her head. "I don't know what to think. However, I'll give you a week; you can stay with me until then, and if we cannot find the ones who have stolen these items, you'll be put in jail."

"You can't be serious?" Fumed the leader of the two; the hat slipped up, revealing a Winkie's dark skin and bright blue eyes. "I thought you were Glinda the Good, not some despot." This was said with a sneer toward Dorothy.

"I am Glinda the Good, but I must take care of my City; you're too young to understand." She explained. The Winkie seemed outraged, but the boy whispered soothing words. Glinda smiled broadly. "Well, if that's it, then…Nissa, will you show Masters…?"

"Master?" The Winkie allowed that almost wicked laugh to bubble again. "Miss; I'm a Miss."

Glinda seemed confused for a moment, but the Winkie took off the hat, allowing mid-back-length dark brown hair to fall out from under it. "It's too hard to walk around this city with long hair, Madame Witch." The girl pointed out. "I'm Miss...Fae." she said, her voice catching oddly.

Glinda looked at the boy. "Are you male, or are you also a girl hiding in there, somewhere, Master Quadling?" He blushed and shook his head.

"N-no, ma'am, I'm male…Master Aran." He supplied.

Glinda nodded and turned to Nissa. "Will you show them to the guest rooms?" she asked.

Nissa was lost for a moment, before she went through the motions of getting up and leaving the room. "I'm Nissa Upland."

Miss Fae's face contorted slightly. "I know." She said.

"And I know Fae's not your real name." Nissa said a little louder as they left the room. The taller girl seemed perplexed, and Nissa smiled broadly. "I've been sitting in there for three hours; I've figured out how to tell if someone's lying, and you were lying back there." She turned and clasped the other's hands in her own. "I won't tell my mother if you tell me your real name? Are you some master pock-picketer, or a runaway princess from the land of Ev?"

The girl seemed surprised. "How old are you?" she asked, somewhat disgusted.

"They're helping us, please keep that tone out of your voice while you're talking to them." said Aran from behind them.

Nissa was slightly hurt. "I'm seventeen; my birthday is at the end of May."

"Well, that answers that question, Fae. A week a part…that's…slightly astounding, isn't it?" Aran asked, holding onto the Winkie tightly.

Nissa looked between the two. "What's astounding?" she asked.

The Winkie shook her head, before letting out a staggering breath. "Fabala." She finally breathed out.

Nissa blinked. "Excuse me?" for a moment, she had heard 'Elphaba', the name of the Wicked Witch of the West.

The Winkie breathed in again, deeply. "My name; it's Fabala."